The Red Lands

The next few weeks passed by peacefully in the abandoned farm. The only ruckus in the vicinity of the barn came from the howls of a teenager who refused to learn basic education.

Those howls every day quickly became groans that led to whimpers until finally unacceptable compliance.

"Ming, did you bring up those jars here?"

Chu pointed at some large earthen jars sitting in a corner.

"Yeah, since the visit from the wolf pack last time, I felt here was better. It's easier to lob the pellets like last time, and we don't have to risk fetching them from below."

"I see, but don't forget to keep it in the far corner on the other side. I don't want the heat coming up from the oven to melt the fat."

"Oops, good thing you told me, Chu, I completely forgot about that."

Just like those fictional stories he read as a teen in the past world, the one transported had it tough. For someone who had never killed a chicken in his life, here he lived, butchering wolves. If not for his mature mind, he would have already given in to fear and disgust from blood.

His past world contact with large predators came from visits to the zoo. In this world, he actually faced down a mad deer and a terrifying bear. If not for Lucy's actions, he was sure he would have done worse than Ming in peeing his pants.

Imagine the kind of fear that paralyzed a person from even pissing his pants or a bowel release. Just the thought of remembering that scene made him start to sweat. On some nights, it supplied him with wonderful nightmares.

Continuing such risky ventures in making money led to a tragic end. Now that they had grasped a respite for food and shelter, he could take his time to decide on the future. First, he had to continue learning about the workings of this world and then make his decision. As a twelve-year-old surrounded by others the same age, he already had the beginnings of a group that would be loyal and trustworthy. All he needed was to instill the mentality and characteristics of prime subordinates.

Chu made it clear that he would not carry excess baggage along with him. They had made the first step from the bottom of the ladder to the first rung. If they wanted to continue, they had to make the necessary sacrifices. Nobody wanted to return to such a life after being sweetened for the past months.

To stay in the village was simply to survive. He wanted to break free into this unknown world. Unfortunately, he did not have the means in both financial and physical strength, to achieve this goal. So far, he had achieved the trust and admiration of the Trading Post manager, Griz.

It would be easy to get a job training under a merchant and then build himself up from there. Unfortunately, this was real life; such a thing was going to take years to accomplish. It would also mean giving up on these companions he had built up unconditional trust and support.

What he wanted was the choice of freedom. He was not going to become a pawn in this world. The firm societal bonds that tied him down in the previous world were near non-existent in this one. There was an ocean of choices that lay before him to make money.

Until he created a backing of his own, he was doomed to remain in the pauper position on the ladder.

The major problem was that the village lay too far out on the borders. The hierarchy was already set in stone, the garrison was headed by a commander sent from the nearest city, the village head was just someone with false authority and a figurehead, while the Trading Post was the representative of the merchant guild sent from the cities.

The major positions, political, economic, and military, had all been filled. The supporting positions for these were a small tavern, a blacksmith, and other little trades. All these were dependent on the hunters and others who passed through on a seasonal basis. The village poised not much room for growth.

If he traveled to a bigger town, it was worse. Not only did he have to worry about the journey to get there, but also the cost of living and finding a job. In a way, it reminded him of his modern past life.

Same scenario, different world.

Adventurers guild?

Most newbies had to pay the cost of joining and then had to find a seasoned veteran to train them. Quest-like herb picking was an RPG dream, the herbalist stores grew what they needed to sell. Rookie adventurers were little more than slaves, climbing up the ladder slowly through the years. It was not uncommon to see the younger ones sporting the hand-me-downs in weapons and armor. These things were, after all, not cheap to buy.

He didn't have much technical expertise, but there were still lots of things he might be able to invent. However, this still needed financial backing. If he came up with something like that to present to Griz, he was confident, as someone with business experience, that he was going to get the raw end of the deal. In the chest of every merchant beats a heart of greed.

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'How stupid would you be if a poor kid walked into your place and handed you the plans to become rich, no questions asked. The best scenario would be to give him a few silver or gold coins to fool him. Worst would be to dispose of him to shut him up.'

Chu sat half-covered with a quilt as he racked his brains for a solution. On the side, Sakura was teaching Miki and Ming how to count. Chu gave her a pouch with a hundred copper and silver coins for them to use.

Given their time together, they had all reached a silent agreement that he kept the money. Not a single one of them would dare to steal from the person who liberated them. He still had the girls sew some small hidden pouches that could hold ten silvers.

These were distributed to everyone as emergency money. Only when necessary did they need to keep it on their person. None of them kept it on them, so far they have never had any need. Only Ming and Lucy would walk with theirs on the trips to the village, but spending was usually done by mooching off Chu.

Dyna was wrapped in a quilt like an earthworm, watching them at the side. She was struggling with her reading and mumbling to herself.

Sue stood by the oven with Clod heating water for his leg. Now and again, it acted up in the cold, making the pain unbearable. Only by applying this type of temporary hot pack did he gain ease. It was just the stiffness in the joints reminding Chu of the old people with arthritis and their battle with bad weather.

It was late evening already, and the place slowly chilled. They had stopped lighting the bonfire in the middle and relied on the oven for heat. Sue always kept it going, so the heat permeated through the platform above, keeping the cold at bay. Only the tower was freezing, but with enough people to exchange shifts, it was a small price to pay.

"Chu.....Chu ...."

Chu shook off his half-dazed self and looked up at the sound. The excited red face of Lucy could be seen. Ever since they came to the barn, this girl had stopped cloaking up like she used to. He constantly had to remind her about wearing a scarf when up in the tower. It was half open to the outside elements. Mumbling in his mind, he climbed to the platform.

"Look...."

Chu followed her hands, pointing to the forest.

Why did this feel like de ja vu? He froze, thinking something like this surely happened before. AND it was not a good thing at the time.

On the northeastern end of the forest, a man ran out. It was like watching a half-dead, drunk man trying to run down a bus. The person would run, stagger, and then fall clumsily in the snow. He would then lurch up and scramble forwards, his hands clawing the air like he swam through water. Understandably, it didn't affect his speed, just made him look more desperate...

Lucy voiced out the thoughts traveling in Chu's mind.

"He's running from something..."

The man was now well out of the forest. A little more distance and he would be near quarter mile from the forest. He looked around and headed in the direction of the village. Chu squinted as he focused on the man. The setting sun reflected off the person time and time again. He finally understood why the uniform looked familiar.

This man was someone from the garrison!

Whether it was made from Iron plate, scale, or chain-mail armor. The light reflecting off the armor provided them a first-hand view. Only the garrison could afford to be decked out in such attire in these parts. The question was why he was alone and not on horseback, like they usually were on patrol. And why was he in the forest in the first place?

Was it another wolf pack? Impossible, the odds of two large packs being sighted in the same area a few weeks apart were close to nil. Given the cunning of wolves, not even they were that stupid. That was like serving themselves up to the patrols and mercenaries. Hungry wolves will risk their lives, but only if easy prey isn't found. There were still the slums and farms to present cheap food alternatives.

Then 'IT' came out.

Chu, who was still watching the antics, felt Lucy tugging his arms. One glance at her revealed a terrified expression. He had seen this expression once before, when she warned him from the tree of the snow bear. Her other hand was firmly clasped over her mouth, obviously suppressing a scream. He followed the hand that released his arm and was now pointing as if she refused to extend it all the way out.

Slowly stepping out of the forest was a beast from the legends. It casually walked out on two feet as it raised its head, looking in the direction of the fleeing man. Long, hairy arms hung down on its side, ending in clawed hands. It raised its head and howled as it stared at the escaping man. In the blink of an eye, it lunged forwards and started sprinting on all four limbs, closing the distance in a flash.

The man only had time to turn around once, only to see the creature already on him.

The following scene was like something out of a horror movie, resulting in the fastest beatdown he had ever witnessed. The man didn't have time to scream before his throat was ripped out by sharp, wicked fangs in that pouted mouth. In a split second, it was all over, no time to beg, dodge, or counter. Within that short time frame, the overwhelming disparity between the two combatants became abundantly clear.

No, it was a lie to say combatants.

Thus was actually like a tiger stepping on a baby chicken.

The beast raised itself back on its hind legs and used a clawed 'hand ' to grab the victim by the leg and slowly began its trek into the forest. If not for the horrifying scene from before, he could swear it was like a farmer trotting out to kill a chicken for dinner and casually strolling back to the house with it.

Resisting the building fear, Chu turned to Lucy. All that was in his mind at present was to get them all into the cellar. Before he could signal her his thoughts....

"Noooo! I was sure I counted correctly! You guys are cheating me!"

The shouts came from the idiot down below as the sound rippled outwards.

Chu and Lucy, who had just locked eyes, saw the same fearful expression reflected on the other's face. Slowly, their heads turned to the place that 'forced' their attention. If they could, both of them would close their eyes, hoping to become invisible.

In the snowy white plains before the forest, the sharp contrast of a black as night figure stopped. A trail of bright red blood was the testament to where it was coming from.

The beast paused and raised its head, turning in the direction of the barn. Maybe it was his mind playing tricks with the heightened fear. He was sure he saw it break out in a vicious grin.

Chu didn't wait to see it lunge on all fours and race towards the barn. He was gone already.

F^%# A $#@% Flag!